Moroccan Red Lentil Soup uses warm spices and wholesome red lentils, making it a hearty dish. This vibrant-colored soup features a medley of veggies such as tomatoes, lush green spinach, and orange sweet potatoes. It is fragrant and comforting as it is creamy from the earthy red lentils. Finishing the soup with a splash of bright lemon juice and garnishing it with mint makes it incredibly flavorful. Its rich taste will make it a favorite at special gatherings. Loaded with a chockful of benefits it will potentially become a staple in your home once you try it!
You can imagine the varieties of lentils and types of preparations that can span the globe. Growing up in India, I collected newspaper and magazine recipe clippings. In over 30 years of cooking, I have collected several recipes which I use to guide me in my daily cooking. Over time, having experimented with these recipes, I have adapted, modified or recreated most of them. That is precisely why cooking in my kitchen is never boring because of the creativity that goes into making new recipes. I learn a lot daily, and food is never a dull affair at home.
I like to add my touch to every recipe, by choosing the ingredients and proportions carefully and adhering to the respective cuisine’s cultural aspects with as much detail as possible. Authenticity is important in my recipe creation and writing, especially when I talk about recipes that are not naturally native to me. I not only do the research, but I also consume the dish before recreating it. In all of this, I am respectful of the history and culture that gave birth to the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup. I am incredibly conscious and mindful that I am not appropriating their dish as my own or as the result of my culture.
However, it was not until I started traveling to more Mediterranean countries that I realized there were global variations of the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup. I suppose it stands to reason, given the proliferation of this pulse. I have sampled Italian, Greek, Turkish, Egyptian, and Moroccan Red Lentil Soups, besides making the red lentil Indian dhal.
Origin:
I cannot talk about the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup without mentioning the comprehensive history of lentils. However, there are two salient points I want to call out with this:
- Lentils are one of the most ancient crops that humans have cultivated. Archaeologists estimate that we have been cultivating lentils for about 23,000 years (23000 BP), dating back to the Paleolithic Age.
- Lentils have been and are grown and consumed from South Asia through the Middle East and Africa and into Southern Europe.
Often, you can identify red lentils because they have a distinctive flavor. Unlike the more earthy brown or green lentils, the red lentil is milder and sweeter. This enables the lentil to absorb other flavors especially if they contain tomatoes or if you are adding spices. While you need to be careful with proportions to balance the flavors, this is especially true of the mild profile of the red lentil.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What are the variations for the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup?
Another variation that you could make is with chickpeas or brown lentils. Split pigeon peas are another variation, although the cooking time is longer than the red lentils. Veggies such as cauliflower, gold or red potatoes and carrots may also be added.
2. How does removing the scum or skimming off the scum from the lentils help?
The scum is just the proteins coming out of the lentils. We generally remove the scum because it traps the air bubbles in the water which affects the cooking time and frankly, they are unattractive. I usually use a big spoon to scoop out the scum if I cook on the stove. You could use a fine-meshed sieve to gently scrape the scum off if you are open-cooking the red lentils.
3. How to cook the red lentils?
- Stovetop:
- The advantage that red lentils have over brown or black is that they do not require soaking.
- Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh strainer to remove pebbles, dust, or debris that may have accreted during packaging.
- Be aware that since lentils expand (usually double in size) when cooked, it is important to use a pan/pot that can accommodate the volume.
- Add cold water to the lentils. The ratio I use is 1: 2, which is 1 cup of dry lentils to 2 cups of water. Feel free to add aromatics (garlic or dried herbs) but avoid adding salt until after the lentils are cooked. When salt or other acidic content is added early, it hardens the lentils and takes longer to cook.
- Cook the lentils on low to medium heat. If you cook them on medium to high heat, they will become mushy. Generally, the lentils will be cooked for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Pressure cooker:
- Repeat steps 1 and 2 from above.
- Place the lentils in the pressure cooker and add water and aromatics in the same ratio. Avoid adding salt.
- Secure the lid and begin heating on high.
- When the pressure is high enough, steam will begin to emanate. Depending on the type of pressure cooker, you will:
- See that the pressure has reached a certain marked level,
- See a steady flow of steam escaping from the release valve, or,
- You will hear 2 whistles.
- When you see or hear these events, reduce the heat to medium and let the pressure cook the lentils for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, turn the heat off and allow the pressure to decrease naturally for 15 minutes. Do not open the pressure cooker before it has had a chance to completely depressurize.
- Instant pot:
Select the ‘sauté‘ function and sauté the onions, garlic, and tomatoes with olive oil. Add the spices, salt, sweet potato and red lentils with the vegetable stock. Select the ‘pressure cook’ function and close the lid. Cook on high for 6 minutes and allow for the natural pressure release. Open the lid and add the lemon juice and garnish with mint.
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Ingredients:
- Lentils: red lentils; brown lentils or split pigeon peas will work.
- Tomato: puréed tomato; or use Roma or heirloom tomato
- Spices: ground cumin, coriander, cayenne, paprika, and turmeric, whole cinnamon and bay leaf
- Sweet potato: air-fried orange sweet potato.; or any white or purple sweet potato
- Spinach: baby spinach; baby kale or any tender greens
How to make the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup:
- Heat a Dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed pot with olive oil. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon and the chopped onion. Sauté the onions for 2 minutes or until tender on medium heat. Add the tomato purée and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the cooked and puréed lentils, spices, salt and vegetable stock. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
3. Toss the spinach and air-fried sweet potato into the pot, stir for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Garnish with mint chiffonade and serve hot.
1. Use an immersion blender to purée the cooked red lentils. The red lentils must be cooked thoroughly or they will be gritty or crunchy in the soup. Allow the cooked lentils to cool before pulsing them.
2. Please avoid adding salt until after the red lentils are cooked. When salt or other acidic content is added early, it hardens the lentils and takes longer to cook.
Serving suggestion:
This Moroccan Red Lentil Soup tastes great when served with any crusty bread or Khobz. If you opt for a soup and salad combo, try it with the Moroccan Cauliflower Salad recipe.
Storage:
The Moroccan Red Lentil Soup can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. It tastes deeper the next day since the flavors from the spices will meld into the soup. You can freeze leftover soup in airtight freezer-safe containers for three months. Thaw the soup to room temperature and microwave or reheat it in a pot on the stove.
Other legume soup recipes that you might like:
Moroccan Red Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven, stovetop
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cinnamon
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 tomato pureed
- 4 clove garlic minced
- 2 cup red lentil cooked
- 1½ tsp cayenne powder
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 cup vegetable stock
- 1 sweet potato peeled, cubed, air fried
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1½ tbsp lemon juice
- 3 sprig mint leaf chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Air-fry the peeled and cubed sweet potato in a baking tray with a tablespoon of olive oil drizzled at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the edges have browned.
- Heat a Dutch oven or any heavy-bottomed pot with olive oil. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon and the chopped onion. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes or until tender on medium heat. Add the tomato purée and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked lentils, spices, salt and vegetable stock. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the soup reaches the desired consistency.
- Toss the spinach and air-fried sweet potato into the pot, stir for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat and add the lemon juice. Garnish with mint chiffonade and serve hot.
Video
Notes
- To air-fry the sweet potatoes, peel and cut them into cubes. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil, toss and air fry or bake (350 degrees F) the sweet potato cubes in a foil-lined baking tray for 15 minutes or until there are golden brown edges.
- I cooked the red lentils separately and puréed them. You could cook the red lentils directly in the pot after adding vegetable stock or water. Red lentils cook faster than most other lentils. There is no need to soak the red lentils. I pressure-cooked the lentils in 2 cups of water.
Nutrition
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